Discussion Board for users of Heart of Dakota Curriculum
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Personally, I find it easier and more fruitful not to combine.dep2125 wrote:Lisa~ I struggle with wanting to combine them too--especially when I think of how we will do it when the younger 3 are added in the mix. I am trying to keep my focus on this year, and I think 2 guides will be very doable for us!
My dc are all 3 or more years apart, and they are worlds apart academically and spiritually. I especially enjoy the heart to heart talks we are able to have with our devotions/Bible times 1:1 together. The things we discuss vary completely from my almost 12 yo, my 8 yo, and my 4 yo. They share so much - I believe it has helped me hold on to their hearts. I share more personal, mature things with my oldest ds, that I would never share with my middle ds. We have someone we know well that is 17 yo and is having a baby with a 15 yo girl. My oldest ds and I have had such important talks about this, especially as he just did his purity study in RTR. I would never have talked about this with my middle ds present. Likewise, my middle ds shares so much that he'd be embarrassed to share with my older ds there. He looks up to him so much. He just wouldn't share his struggles if my oldest was listening in. Then my 4 yo, well he just is learning to praise the Lord with simple songs and fingerplays and story Bible readings. All 3 are in a totally different place, and me being able to work with them individually has opened the door for each of them to talk to me personally about their faith, their concerns, their temptations, and their triumphs. I believe this has helped them to seek me out outside of school time for heart to heart talks about the Lord too. When someone reads to me, I catch half of what I do when I read it myself. When older dc are combined with siblings with reading abilities beneath their own, someone ends up reading aloud what was meant to be read independently. Not to mention, that the content when geared toward the older is often inappropriate for the youngers. Reading aloud lengthy history and science books that were meant for the older more independent learner to read on his own results in the day being very long and the mama (or the older child) being very hoarse. Not to mention, it does nothing to gradually prepare dc for high school, as they certainly will be expected to read their own material then. 
I have used the placement chart, and it has helped me choose what is right for our family, with each of my dc in mind, and that has been a great way for our family to go about learning together. Our dc share with each other all of the time what they are learning, and the conversation just bounces back and forth about this or that all through family meals, and throughout free time too. Everyone can contribute. Everyone feels successful. Everyone can do all that is asked of him in his guide. This kind of family learning is good for everyone! It just depends on the ages and abilities of the dc. Larger families often need to combine, and usually can within the age ranges of HOD's guides. Likewise, dc who are close in age and ability (within 4 years or less) often combine well with one another. HOD is written for multiple ages, so it is intended that some dc be combined. However, the placement chart is a great indicator of when it is becoming more difficult to combine than it would be to separate. It is the best place to go to see where each of your individual dc place, and then to consider what is best for the whole family based on that. We will help with placement, and once that is right, everything else falls into place beautifully. Good question!dep2125 wrote:I loved reading your post, Julie! Helps me feel like I am heading in the right direction. I enjoyed reading the links too. However, I am wondering one thing. If I am to teach to the younger child while adding in extensions for an older when combining, will I only ever be able to combine the oldest two? I can't wrap my head around how I would combine an older with a younger child that is moving up. I guess the olders will eventually be more independent, and it would be easier to do more guides? I see that Carrie does 4, so obviously it works. Just thinking ahead again...
Your dc are all around 2 years apart, so you will more than likely be able to nicely combine them together in pairs. 
One thing you may want to consider - often our oldest dc take off more quickly. I believe it's because God intended them to lead, and also because they had us all to themselves for at least a little while. All that attention we lavish on our oldest often helps them stretch out beyond our next child. I do not know if this is the case with your 10 yo or not, but if it is, I could see this option working very nicely for your family... You asked how you can teach multiple guides, and the answer is as your olders are maturing and needing to take over their own reading and begin doing more independent work, your youngers begin needing you more. Your olders then are working more independently, and your youngers are doing younger guides with you more, but the younger guides take less time to do and plan for a shorter school day for the littles. So, for example, PHFHG took us around 3 hours to do, and Beyond took us about 2 hours to do. HOD actually incrementally trains dc to be independent in certain skills each year. This is key. I actually think that this is what makes independence truly work. That is why it is so important to do all of the work that is assigned in a guide, so that each skill is truly taught. Many other guides I've used do not train dc to be independent, nor do they teach dc skills they need to keep improving upon year to year. They just all of the sudden assign things to be done independently, but dc have not been taught the skills to be able to do them independently, and therefore, mom is still needed. Also, the work is often done at one level, a lower skill level such as basic comprehension, as dc have no guidance upon how to improve a skill to reach the synthesis, analysis, etc. levels of learning. By the close of PHFHG, dc are writing around 5 sentences for their written narrations. They will be successful with it, as long as we did our part in teaching what is in the guide. You can also see the difference it would make if a guide - instead of incrementally teaching the skill of writing a written narration - simply said year after year in the plans,"Write a written narration". So many questions are left up in the air - How long should it be? What would be considered a good written narration? How much editing should be required? etc. These questions are what make true "independence" impossible. Because HOD teaches skills step-by-step, dc are very successful with doing them independently. This approach is taken to teaching skills across the board. Each year new skills are added and older skills are given to the student to take responsibility for - this is what makes it possible for older dc to grow and mature, to embrace becoming more responsible for their learning. It has helped my oldest ds become more and more confident in his abilities, less dependent upon me for everything. He need not wait for me if I am busy with something or someone, he can move on with his studies because he knows which parts are independent and semi-independent, and he also knows which parts he reserves for me because those are teacher-directed. 
Our teaching time together is amazing. It is special, and it is focused. It is steeped in rich discussions and deep learning. It is not spent with me just reading to him. It is not spent with me "hovering" over him telling him every little step to do. They long to have their mama every step of the way, and they can, because I have time freed up to teach them all those foundational skills I taught my older years back. This is the beauty of multiple guides within HOD. It is such a gift. I love the balance it gives me in my day, with my dc, with my time. Anyway, I know this got long, but I was hoping if I tried to explain a specific skill that it might help make clearer what I've been trying to say. Keep asking questions, keep praying, but you're onto something here that can change your life in a wonderful way. I am a happy homeschooling mama. I don't have perfect days, but I do have consistently happy, content days. What a gift - I want to pass it on!